1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to functionalized particles, and, in particular, to diazonium functionalized silica particles for use in binding to metallic or semiconductor surfaces. Further embodiments relate to methods for bonding nanoparticles to metallic surfaces in order to form a desired effect, and the structures formed as a result of such bonding. Further embodiments relate to surfaces treated with diazonium functionalized particles that possess elevated levels of hydrophobicity.
2. Description of the Related Art
Metal and semiconductor surfaces are frequently modified with particles in order to add new properties and functions. For example, surface attachment of particles may be an important step in the construction of devices such as biosensors, photonic band gap materials, catalysts, and colloidal lithography.
The stability and performance of the surfaces depend, at least in part, on the binding strength between the particles and the substrate. As a result, various techniques have been developed to bind particles to metal or semiconductor surfaces. However, most of these techniques only result in weak particle surface adsorption. Furthermore, these processes are often complex, requiring many steps, which increase the time, resources, and costs of producing particle-functionalized surfaces.
In particular, particles can be covalently bonded to substrates by the modification of both the substrate and the particle surfaces with functional organic groups that, in a latter step, react with each other. Although this approach to increase the strength of the particle-surface interaction is possible, it requires three controlled steps of (i) particle modification, (ii) surface modification, and (iii) particle and surface attachment.
Difficulties in modifying metal and semiconductor surfaces, such as weak particle surface adsorption and complex processes, show the continued need for improved systems and methods for bonding particles to metal surfaces.